People do not want dirty politicians back in politics

Mainstream political parties do not want the return of “dirty politicians” to national politics, and ordinary people have also taken a stand against corrupt political practices, leaders of various political parties and conscious local citizens have said.

BNP press wing member Shairul Kabir Khan told Views Bangladesh that the party believes in liberal and democratic politics and does not want criminals or unethical individuals to be part of running the state.

He said the BNP wants a fair national parliamentary election in line with the constitution and the country’s laws, adding that the party is keen to engage in politics only with public support.

Rajshahi metropolitan ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and central executive council member Maulana Dr Md. Keramat Ali said the Jatiya Party was one of the main collaborators of the previous fascist government, and allowing it political space would once again make national politics dirty.

Md. Mobashsher Ali, convenor of the Rajshahi metropolitan unit of the National Citizen Party, said that most people in the country, including the NCP, oppose the return of the Awami League and its ally Jatiya Party to politics.

He alleged that in the upcoming election, the Awami League could use the Jatiya Party to capture opposition seats, which would later obstruct national development activities.

Rajshahi city businessman Md. Saiful Islam said genocide perpetrators, oppressors, destroyers of state institutions and their collaborators must not be allowed to return to politics under any circumstances.

The comments come as protesters from the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement demonstrated in the presence of Jatiya Party candidate Afzal Hossain during the symbol allocation process for Rajshahi-3 Paba–Mohanpur.

Rajshahi district administrator and returning officer Afia Akhtar said the administration is acting in accordance with the law and that there is no scope to withhold symbol allocation for Jatiya Party candidates once the final candidate list has been published.

Jatiya Party candidates expressed concern over their election campaigning after the incident, saying such behaviour in the presence of the returning officer was worrying.

Professor Abul Hossain, adviser to the Jatiya Party chairman and former president of the party’s Rajshahi district unit, said unruly behaviour towards candidates was observed, although the district administrator managed to keep the situation under control.

In total, 29 candidates have received election symbols in Rajshahi’s six constituencies, including 26 party-backed and three independent candidates. Three Jatiya Party candidates in Rajshahi-3, 4 and 6 have received the plough symbol and will be able to begin campaigning in line with the Election Commission’s code of conduct.